Leading journalist speaks out against RBS’s “environmental vandalism”
Ian Fraser is an award-winning and financially-savvy journalist who has reported on the economic turmoil in The Sunday Times, Financial Times, BBC News, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Independent on Sunday, the Herald and the Sunday Herald.
In a post on his personal blog Fraser writes eloquently and insightfully about the destruction caused by RBS and highlights the bank’s lies it has been using to try to hide its involvement in scandalous and destructive fossil fuel projects around the globe.
Specifically, Fraser links to the US-based charity Rainforest Action Network that has shown that “of the $15 billion of funding provided by RBS to the energy sector since its October 2008 bailout, only $83m went to alternative energy – that’s less than one per cent.“
Fraser also blogs that while some people “resent the climate camp, dismissing the protestors as a bunch of misdirected middle-class students and wastrels with too much time on their hands [...]Much of this knitpicking misses the bigger picture.”
We think so too and Fraser goes on to tell those who aren’t Climate Camp supporters why. He writes:
“I admire the climate campers for having the balls to challenge the (almost certainly unsustainable) economic and environmental status quo – and believe they have picked a good target in RBS. As well as becoming the world’s biggest purveyor of subprime-infected timebombs (CDOs etc) under chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin, the bank also became the world’s leading funders of fossil fuels and carbon-intensive industries including Albertan tar sands.”
Good on yer Ian. Hopefully see you down at Gogarburn tomorrow for the mass action.
More importantly, has he written about the Climate Campers’ childish and mindless vandalism?
Edinburger on August 22, 2010
Why don’t the “protesters” just get a job and stop engaging in these ridiculous publicity stunts?
Maybe you arrogantly believe you are above the rest of society and rather than write to your MP you can just go and smash up something you don’t like using “direct action” which incidentally to everyone else is called criminal damage.
It also costs the tax payer a fortune in policing costs but then you wouldn’t worry about that, because I bet none of you pay any taxes. Don’t worry though you bunch of arrogant children, I’ll work harder to pay yours for you.
You bunch of arrogant, childish fools.
Dave on August 22, 2010
What a bunch of unwashed grubby wankers. Go get a real job and live in the real world.
Stuart Gray on August 22, 2010
Oh, and another thing, your fucking tents are made of nylon. Do you have a clue where that comes from? and no it’s not from mummy and daddy you spastic mongs.
Stuart Gray on August 22, 2010
Edinburger,
I have not written about their “childish and mindless vandalism” and certainly do not condone that.
Ian Fraser on August 22, 2010
Ian ‘I’ve never heard of him’ Fraser awards…
» November 2007 – State Street 6th Annual Institutional Press Awards, Investment Journalist of the Year (National Newspapers) (shortlisted)
» April 2006 – Scottish Press Awards, Business/Financial Writer of the Year (shortlisted)
» Nov 2005 – BVCA Private Equity & Venture Capital Journalist of Year (shortlisted)
» June 2004 – Aon Business Pensions & Investment Journalist of the Year (Runner-Up)
» Nov 2002 – BVCA Private Equity & Venture Capital Journalist of Year (shortlisted)
» April 2002 – Scottish Press Awards, Business/Financial Writer of the Year (shortlisted)
» May 1997 – PPA Communicators in Business Awards (Unilever Magazine – Winner)
» May 1996 – PPA Communicators in Business Awards (Uniview – Award of Excellence)
» March 1995 – UK Press Gazette Business Press Awards, Feature Writer of the Year (Highly Commended)
He won one – what a twit, ironically that was in a soap magazine.
Stuart Gray on August 22, 2010
Leading journalist??!!!! Thanks for giving me a good laugh.
Away on with Yourselves on August 23, 2010
direct action all the way fck the cops and the tax payers
smash the banks on August 23, 2010
fuk the law and the cops let the tax payers foot the bill DIRECT ACTION ALL THE FCK WAY
smash the banks on August 23, 2010
@Dave
While you might consider Climate Camp a publicity stunt it is, in fact, a way of telling corporations like RBS that at least some people are prepared to take a stand and challenge their destructive and exploitative behaviour. Writing to MPs isn’t the way forward. I’m surprised you’re happy to support the idea given the sheer volume of corruption among MPs who are also more than happy to squander millions of taxpayers money on personal gain.
Direct action isn’t a synonym for criminal damage and often the police use scare-mongering tactics and unnecessary arrests to generate support from the “public” – in the same way they often over-police events like Climate Camp in order make bold claims about costs to tax payers.
I *am* a tax payer and would also rather my money was spent on education and health rather than needless, political policing and exploitative and destructive banking practices.
We’re agreed there!
Thanks for stopping by.
Simon on August 23, 2010
“Direct action isn’t a synonym for criminal damage and often the police use scare-mongering tactics and unnecessary arrests to generate support from the “public” – in the same way they often over-police events like Climate Camp in order make bold claims about costs to tax payers.”
So Lothian & Borders Police should just have let this mob smash all of the windows and burn the building down?
Edinburger on August 23, 2010
Well done, no work therefore no pay for me today, you have just made yourselves an enemy my friends, I vow right now that I will close one of your camps down. I will wait awhile then use all the “direct action” i can to make you squeal.
GrantMacDonald on August 23, 2010
I was at the camp yesterday. Young children were making a dinosaur out of paper, others were playing in the Kid’s Zone. Older people were attending seminars, chatting with friends, attending band practice and so on. There were no mobs in the camp, with was a very relaxed, welcoming and friendly place.
I didn’t hear anyone planning violence, if I had I would have been very surprised as these are people involved in non-violent direct-action. Hurting people is not something climate campers do, but they have seen the police hurting people at Kingsnorth and G20 in particular.
The seminar I was in came to an abrupt end. The police were massing in a threatening manner at a nearby bridge, so we went to discourage them from attacking the camp. We did that by forming two lines with arms linked. We had no weapons, the police were armed with pepper sprays and metal clubs. We were dressed in light clothing, often shorts or skirts and tee shirts, and flimsy or no shoes. The police were not in Robocop outfits, but ones in these were in the background and later moved forward. All it takes for evil to succeed is the good people to do nothing and it was clear from that bridge that the good people were in the camp, not the defenders of taxpayer funded corporate greed dressed in yellow.
John on August 23, 2010
I cant help it I’m gay and proud
smash the banks on August 23, 2010
If you sympathise with the larger issues at stake here – i.e. the fact that RBS is using tax-payers money to finance projects that threaten human rights and are destroying the climate – please go the World Development Movement’s website and take part in their e-action to the Chancellor. UK taxpayers now own more than 80% of RBS and as such, have the right to demand that they invest in ethically and environmentally- sound projects:
http://www.wdm.org.uk/action-scotland/take-action-stop-taxpayers-money-funding-climate-change
Alocalhavingmysay on August 23, 2010
I didn’t hear anyone planning violence, if I had I would have been very surprised as these are people involved in non-violent direct-action.
Whilst childish pranks like supergluing each other may not be violent (now let’s think, how many polar bears were tortured to death in the oil sands for that superglue and its solvent to be produced at some Chinese sweatshop?), taking hammers to huge plate glass windows is hardly an act of compassion is it?
Moron.
By the way, don’t try to equate a load of midlless ditsy tree-huggers with those who struggled against the Nazis.
Edinburger on August 23, 2010
I’m a tax payer. My job skills are contingent and I am expendable and easily replaced within the company I work for. I am completely dependent on supermarkets for my food because I can neither hunt nor grow my own. My children can’t either because I never taught them, but at least they have inherited my healthy consumer inclinations, as they require all the latest products aimed at their demographic. I have a mortgage. My life has followed the same path as countless others so I can’t possibly be wrong. I am dependent on the mainstream media for my ideas and opinions yet they are all very much my own. I use terms like tree-hugger and dirty hippies in the same way as the American right-wing media. I am a tax payer, so why don’t you get a job despite the extortionate unemployment rate and public sector job cuts.. I am a tax payer and I think that Capitalism works for me. I am a tax payer and my mind is not my own.
Anonymous on August 23, 2010
Bloody hippies.
We need fossil fuels to sustain our economy and renewables aren’t good enough.
Grow up.
Anonymous on August 23, 2010
@Edinburgher, @GrantMacdonald, @Stuart Gray & @Dave. Your myopia stuns and even saddens me. In your closed little world view, should everyone shut their eyes, buckle down to worship at the temple of unsustainable materialism and blindly accept the economic and environmental status quo? The mere fact that you are so vituperative, dismissing the climate campers as “treehuggers” “morons”, “arrogant children”, soap dodgers” is a sure sign of your blinkeredness. In your view, the climate camp is nothing more than a childish prank. The reality is it is probably only the only jolting corporations such RBS into considering changing their behaviour. Writing to your MP would achieve precisely nothing.
Anonymouse on August 23, 2010
Fck the police and law and stuff the tax payers DIRECT ACTION ALL THE WAY.RBS=GREENWASH SCUM STOP YOUR LIES we are never going away and we wont stop you are our number 1 target
green hippy on tour on August 23, 2010
“The reality is it is probably only the only jolting corporations such RBS into considering changing their behaviour.”
“Jolting” – ho ho very funny.
Do you really think that RBS gives a moment’s consideration to the childish antics of a couple of dozen petty vandals?
Nope – their activity is the political equivalent of spilling their seed upon the ground.
Edinburger on August 23, 2010
Childish insults like “Moron” demonstrate how little the trolls have to say.
The trolls also twist what others have said. I didn’t equate the campers with those who struggled against the Nazis, but a troll claims that I did. My father fought against the Nazis for the whole of the Second World War and I don’t make comparisons like that.
John on August 23, 2010
Which “genius” came up with the idea of pouring oil onto the A8 and bypass?
I sincerely hope that when they’re driving mumsy’s X5 home that they encounter a similar oil spill on a wet road.
Edinburger on August 23, 2010
Funny how RBS share price had gone up despite today’s day of action. Guess the public do see you as a bunch of criminals and aren’t paying any attention!
Strongly opposed on August 23, 2010
“Childish insults like “Moron” demonstrate how little the trolls have to say.”
Words fail me. John, if you had an education, it failed you too.
Troll (Apparently) on August 23, 2010
You’re very brave pouring oil onto a carriageway. If someone had crashed and died you would have blood on your hands. Then see how much support you have. Mindless bloody idiots!!! Scum!!
Away on with Yourselves on August 23, 2010
What an irresponsible act to cause a potential danger to others in such a reckless way. Sorry, but you don’t rouse a social conscience by actions like that, but you do rouse anger and resentment and the Environmental movement you claim to savour only suffers as a result.
Those with “green” issues all over the country are seen as lawbreakers and destructive criminals because of what you did. Hope you are pleased.
tighthead on August 23, 2010
Allegations that a substance “similar to diesel or vegetable oil” was poured onto roads including A720 and westbound A8 bear hallmarks of being a police ‘smear’.
See http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/aug/23/climate-camp-day-action-edinburgh
At 12.41pm today Severin Carroll wrote “Police originally said buses had to be diverted due to the oil, which they said was either vegetable or diesel, but now they’ve retracted that.”
Remember, it would suit the police no end to convey the impression that climate campers are indulging in reckless and dangerous acts….
Anonymouse on August 23, 2010
Fuck off out of my city. Twats.
Worker on August 23, 2010
What idiots thought it was a good idea to pour oil into an A road??
So is putting members of the public at risk is part of this campaign now is it??
Wow, you bunch of hypocritical gets! Riddle me this, the ones at the camp? How did you get there? Did you cycle or walk?
How many of you buy clothes from Pri-Mark and New Look?
Hypocrisy: Our New Democracy.
idiosta on August 23, 2010
‘Remember, it would suit the police no end to convey the impression that climate campers are indulging in reckless and dangerous acts….’
I think you need to read that article again. They retracted saying they forced buses off the roads, not that climate camp criminals were responsible.
Strongly opposed on August 23, 2010
Just on bbc news a police officer said a trail of oil led them back to the camp from where it was spilled.
It was most definitely climate campers and this campaign should start apologising for this and quickly.
idiosta on August 23, 2010
Probably complete crap about the oil spill, the police say there was an oil spill but not that they have any evidence that climate camp were responsible. They are smearing the camp by association.
I’ve been to climate camps and the ethos is completely non-violent and respecting of public safety.
N
NickB on August 26, 2010
Can I just ask if anyone has seen any photographic evidence for this oil spill on the road? So many people are angry that this ‘happened’ but not one of the papers can conclude if the event really took place. Their stories carry no photographs (which considering the extent it has been reported and the amount of photojournalists at the camp and in surrounding areas is pretty shocking) Also none of the drivers supposedly affected by the spill have come forward to condemn the act itself. I walked on the road in question an hour or so later and saw no evidence of any oil or clean up residue on the bypass. I understand peoples anger, endangering people’s lives is not what climate camp is about. Endangering innocent people is not what direct action is about.
Also people have been dismissing these activists as petty middle class tree hugging people dependent on ‘mummy and daddy’, have any of these people that hurl these accusations been to camp to see who was there? If so please continue to discuss in a reasoned manner, one that relies on what you have seen and not what you think may possibly be there but aren’t quite sure because you have never been to any activist meeting space.
A third point is that with the passing of time the women fighting for equal rights in the suffragette movement are applauded for their bravery in the face of oppression, they used tactics that would be labelled criminal damage in modern law. What the climate camp activists are fighting for is a planet for future generations to live on, in a healthy and sustainable way. This is just as important as any previous fight for gender or race equal rights, it is one that affects us all.
Saddened by the media, again. on August 26, 2010